One or more forms of FGM are practised in more than 28 African countries and also by ethnic groups in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula and along the Persian Gulf. It is also reported to be practised by some Muslim groups in Malaysia and Indonesia. Because of recent civil wars in the Horn of Africa, many African refugee communities have resettled in Western countries and FGM is thought to be increasingly practised in refugee camps and some Western countries.

At present it is estimated that there are 153 million girls and women who have undergone some form of female genital mutilation. The most common types of FGM are excision of the clitoris (Type I), and excision of the clitoris and labia minora (Type II) — accounting for up to 80% of all cases. The most extreme type is infibulation (Type III), which constitutes about 15% of all procedures, but is practised among as many as 90% of women from Somalia, Djibouti and Northern Sudan — with a consequently higher rate of complications. As current rates of population increase, and with a slow decline in these procedures, it is estimated that at least 2 million girls are at risk of FGM every year. However, information available on total prevalence and rate is based on anecdotal reports and is not complete.

The following table indicates the estimated prevalence of FGM in Africa.